Moraga Art Gallery is presenting a new group show, "Summer Hues" featuring local artists showing watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings, ceramics, photography, mixed media, jewelry and glass designs. The show runs through August 14 and is featuring the work of Natalia Udaltsova, painter and Laura Paige, jewelry creations. The Moraga Art Gallery is located at 570 Center St in the Rheem Valley Shopping Center next to CVS Drugs. Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 12-5pm. Phone: (925) 376-5407

Summer Daze will be the exhibit at the Lafayette Gallery through August 8. Celebrate the warmth and lightheartedness of summer by bringing a welcome infusion of color and creativity into your life. The Gallery is located at 50 Lafayette Circle in Lafayette. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm. Phone: (925) 284-2788.

Thomas F. Black, a professional photographer based in Lafayette, has an installation of his work (21 images in all) on exhibit in the lobby at Town Hall Theatre, 3535 School St. (corner of Moraga Rd.), Lafayette, through August. Images are divided into two main categories: Rustic Relics, consisting of old barns, and Rusted Relics, comprising “abandoned art” such as old automobiles and trucks, antique tractors and farm implements, and retired school buses. All of his galleries may be viewed at www.tfblackphotography.com.

Hearst Gallery: Superbly Independent: Early California Paintings July 25 - Sept. 19. Nearly 100 landscape paintings by three tenacious and talented early pioneer Western women painters: Annie Harmon, Mary DeNeale Morgan and Marion Kavanagh Wachte. Opening night lecture by art historian Erika Esau, Ph.D., author of Images of the Pacific Rim: Australia and California, 1850-1935, free admission. Sunday, July 25, 2 pm; reception following in the Art Gallery Patio. Exhibition admission: $4 adults; K-12 graders free. Saint Mary's College of California, 1928 St. Mary's Rd., Moraga. Gallery Hours: Wed. – Sun., 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Main Telephone: (925) 631-4379. Website:
www.hearstartgallery.org.

Docent Lecture at Moraga Library, July 14, 2pm: Birth of Impressionism; Masterpieces from the Musee d’Orsay. Based on the current exhibition at the de Young running through September 6. The library is located at 1500 Saint Marys Road, Moraga. (925) 376-6852.

Orinda Summer Concerts in the Park. Come out and enjoy the series of free concerts held in the Community Park throughout the spring and summer sponsored by the Orinda Community Center Auxiliary, the City of Orinda, and the Rotary Club of Orinda. Tuesday Night Series, 6:30-8:30pm. July 13th, Stone Soup (classic rock); July 20th, Orinda Idol (variety).

Moraga Summer Concert Series: Thursdays from 6:30-8:30pm. Bring your picnic blanket or lawn chairs to the grassy hillside in front of the band shell at the Moraga Commons Park. Enjoy the music while your children enjoy the park. The volunteers of the Moraga Park and Recreation Foundation will even cook dinner for you; the Snack Bar opens at 6pm. Coming soon: July 8, Juke Joint, a local blues band; July 15, Moonalice, an Early rock band and 2010 Grammy award nominee.

Open Opera returns to Orinda with a concert of opera classics and favorites on Sunday, July 25 at 4pm at the Orinda Community Center Park at 26 Orinda Way, Orinda. Open Opera events are family-friendly and admission is always FREE. Residents are encouraged to bring a picnic basket and folding chairs or a blanket to lie on. Open Opera is dedicated to building community. For more information and a schedule of events, visit www.openopera.net. The event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Orinda.

The Orinda Library is happy to announce the line-up for “Listen to the World,” the 2010 Summer Music Series. July 28: Japanese Koto; Shirley Kazuyo is one of the modern masters of this ancient Japanese instrument and her son, Brian Mitsuhiro Wong, follows in the family’s tradition. This program is free, open to everyone and takes place next to the Fireplace inside the library. The Orinda Library, is located at 26 Orinda Way in Orinda. For more information, please call (925) 254-2184 or visit the library website at ccclib.org. The choice of music ranges from Ireland to Japan and is sure to please audiences of all ages. All performances start at 7pm.

"Hairspray" performed by Woodminster Summer Musicals will be presented among the redwoods in Woodminster Amphitheater, an open-air WPA-era facility high in the Oakland hills July 9-18. Tickets available at
Ticketweb.com, or (510) 531-9597, or www.woodminster.com, $25-$40 ($2 discount for children/seniors) An adult paying full price can bring a child or teen 16 or younger to the performance for free. Preview Performance: July 8, 8pm. All tickets $10 at the door. The Woodminster Amphitheater is located in Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, Oakland.

The next Green Film Night at the Town Hall Theatre will be on Tuesday, July 13th and feature the documentary “Living Downstream.” The film is about ecologist and cancer survivor, Dr. Sandra Steingraber, as she travels across North America, breaking the silence about cancer and its environmental links. Wine tasting and appetizers start at 6pm, and the movie starts around 7pm. Tickets purchased in advance are just $10. More info or to purchase tickets:
http://www.sustainablelafayette.net/events/green-rheem.html

Thursday nights at the movies; classic film series at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center from 7–9pm. Hear Inside stories and discussion following the movies, moderated by James Keller; instructor in world drama, film and poetry.
July 8 – Holiday with Cary Grant and Kathryn Hepburn
July 15 Monsieru Hulot’s Holiday with Jacques Tati
July 22 Summertime with Kathryn Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi
July 29 Pauline on the Beach with French master Erich Rohmer
Tickets $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, $30 for the series.

Orinda Starlight Village Players presents Allyn Ackbourne's Time After Time July 16th through August 7th, Fridays & Saturdays, at 8:30pm, Sunday, August 1 at 4pm; and Thursday, August 5 at 8pm. The outdoor theater is nestled in the hill in the corner of the Community Park next to the Orinda Library/Community Center, 26 Orinda Way. Tickets are always available at the box office adjacent to the theater which opens an half hour before show time: $16 regular and $8 for seniors/minors. For more information, call (925) 253-1911 or
email info@orsvp.org.

The Moraga Movers next dinner event will be on July 12. Social hour is at 5 p.m., with dinner
catered by the Sodexho organization at 6 pm. The guest speaker will be Beau Behan, theater director of the New Rheem Theater. Members of this busy club were involved in refurbishing the space and publicizing the news that the venerable art deco building is once again in business. Many can remember its grand days when they first moved to the community and witnessed the searchlights that filled the skies when a new movie opened. 55 year and older residents interested in joining the group may call (925)376-6622.

The Birth and the Golden Age of California Rock, July 10, 2-4 pm. Rock music historian/author Richie Unterberger traces the evolution of California rock from the late 50’s through early 1970s including Beach Boys, Mamas & Papas, Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more. Funded by Friends of the Moraga Library.

The 5th Annual “Summer Classic” Golf Tournament, dinner and concert to raise money for the JDRF, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, is Friday August 13 at the Wente complex in Livermore. It is open to the general public. This year’s event will feature a concert performance by “Super Diamond,” a popular Neil Diamond tribute band. The event is hosted by Active Charity, a group of local businessmen and their supporters who have already raised over $1 million dollars for JDRF. The charity fundraiser is co-hosted by Tri-Valley Bank. For information on how to sign up to golf, or for dinner and concert tickets, see
www.CureType1.org/summer.

The Most Exciting Cycling Event, Climbing the Bay Area’s Most Devilish Peak, is open for early registration due to popular demand. The Mount Diablo Challenge is a 10.8 mile timed bike ride, starting at the Athenian School in Danville and climbing up Southgate Road 3,249 feet to the summit of Mount Diablo. Registration is first come first served and the first wave to start the race is always the most popular so early registration is key. More than 1,000 cyclists compete and prizes are awarded for several categories in a ceremony at the summit with food and beverages for all. Riders of all ages are welcome and can compete on any type of non-motorized cycle, including tandems, unicycles and hand powered vehicles. Interested cyclists can take advantage of early registration at http://www.SaveMountDiablo.org.

Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park presents: Peralta House Tours, June 16th - August 20th, every Weds, Thurs, Fri, Sat from 2:30-5:30pm. The house is accessible only by guided tours, followed by optional free exploration. The current changing exhibit, "Embroidering Our Lives: Mien Women at Peralta Hacienda," tells a story of land loss and cultural change with films, photos, and the women's own words and art. Each tour is limited to 10 people; advance reservations are recommended. Phone (510) 532-9142. Tours are $5. Tours begin at the Kitchen entrance to the Peralta House, at 2465 34th Ave, Oakland.
http://www.peraltahacienda.org.

Volunteering Mid-Career or in Retirement: Peace Corps Information Session on, Tuesday, July 27, 6:30pm – 8pm, Lafayette Library and Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette. All are welcome at this special Peace Corps panel discussion and information session with a special focus on volunteering mid-career or in retirement and Peace Corps education assignments. RSVP to (510) 452-8444 or sfevents@peacecorps.gov. More info at www.peacecorps.gov.

Pub Trivia, Wednesday, July 28 at 6:30pm at Petar’s. At this event, we will be collecting donations for the Family Giving Tree which is currently conducting its back to school drive to provide children with a new backpack along with the tools they need to succeed. In 2009, they helped 13,843 children with this effort. For more information, please visit: http://www.familygivingtree.org/back_to_school/back_to_school.html. Petar’s is located at 32 Lafayette Circle, Lafayette.

E-waste Collection on Saturday July 31st 9am-4pm, Lafayette Christian Church, 584 Glenside Drive, Lafayette. Free to recycle televisions, monitors, laptops, cell phones, flatscreens & wires. $5.00 per item fee to recycle: stereos, telephones, printers, DVD players, radios, fax machines, small appliances etc. Sponsored by Citizens For The Lost Society,
an organization committed to finding children and bring them home to our communities. Contact (925) 890-1324 for information.

Summer Wine Festival: Sunday, August 15, 2-5pm, Saint Mary's College in Moraga. This is a perfect outing to enjoy delicious regional wines, right in your backyard. The event also features a silent auction, a few regional breweries, as well as cheeses and chocolates. The 6th Annual Summer Wine Festival is a fundraiser for Saint Mary’s College student scholarships. Call (925) 631-4200 for tickets and more information, or visit www.stmarys-ca.edu/wine. $35 per person (until 7/30), $45 thereafter. 21 and over please.

Fruit Picking Project: Last year a group of Miramonte High School students logged over 100 hours of community service picking fruit and taking it to the food bank. The fruit-pickers are back this summer. The students will pick fruit from your tree, give you as much as you would like, and take all of the extra fruit to the food bank. The group donated over 1200 pounds of fruit in two months last summer and Conor Volpe received a Jefferson Award for founding the project. Interested residents with fruit trees can email extrfruit123@gmail.com or call 631-6635. The students will be seniors this year and the group is looking for younger students to join so that the effort can continue in future years.